Overall largemouth bass fishing should be good at Topeka’s Lake Shawnee this year based on last year’s net and electrofishing assessments by Richard Sanders, district fisheries biologist for Wildlife and Parks.

“The condition of the bass was only fair, however,” Sanders said, “and many fish will be small.”

Sanders also placed channel catfish in the good category because samplings showed above average size and density.

Bluegill samplings improved considerably over the previous four years, Sanders said, and bluegill less than eight inches long were in excellent condition.

“Bluegill should be a least fair this year,” Sanders said.

Low numbers of crappie have been sampled at Lake Shawnee since the drought in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the trend continues.

“Crappie exhibited fair body condition,” Sanders said. “Fishing may be difficult due to the low numbers, but the size will be good for a small impoundment.”

Many walleye were sampled, and the number of fish longer than 15 inches was low.

“Body condition was poor for larger fish, but good for smaller ones,” he said. “Walleye angling should be fair.”

Good numbers of wiper were captured with many in the 15- to 20-inch range and Sanders rates wiper fishing as potentially good.

However, Sanders cautions fishermen to examine every white bass they catch to make sure they haven’t accidentally harvested a small wiper.

“When you consider Lake Shawnee is an urban lake which receives much disturbance and fishing pressure, the fishing outlook is favorable,” Sanders said.